Confidence Shines Through as Meath’s Eoghan Frayne says the team went into their clash against Dublin full of belief, not just hope, before pulling off a stunning championship win their first over the Dubs in 15 years. Frayne was the star of the show, racking up 11 points, including two crucial two-pointers, as Meath booked their spot in the Leinster final. The victory ended a long run of nine straight losses dating back to 2010. Even with the weight of history, Frayne said the team was confident from the start. “100% – more so than any previous year, this year we knew we’d worked really hard,” he told RTÉ Sport. “We didn’t come here thinking losing by 10 would be okay. We came here planning to win and we did.” Confidence Shines Through.
Frayne said they expected Dublin to have their strong moments, but Meath stayed composed. “We always knew Dublin would have a purple patch. We knew the lead wouldn’t be enough they’re an incredible team. But we held on, knocked over a few key scores, and even though we gave away possession a bit too easily, we stood strong under their pressure. It feels so sweet now.”
Dublin did mount a big challenge after halftime. Playing with the breeze, Con O’Callaghan nailed a two-pointer right after the restart, and goals from Cormac Costello and Colm Basquel brought them within two points with just six minutes left. But Meath kept their nerve and scored the final two points to seal a famous win.
At halftime, Frayne said the team didn’t even entertain the thought of throwing away their 12-point lead. “You can’t let yourself think like that. If you do, you’re probably going to blow it,” he said. “We just needed to stay calm, control the ball, and slow the game down. Thankfully, we did just enough.”
Next up, Meath face their neighbors Louth in the Leinster final a throwback to 2010 when Dublin also missed the decider. That match is still remembered for a controversial Joe Sheridan goal, and Frayne knows it won’t be easy. “We’ve lost to Louth the last two times in the league. We know the challenge they’ll bring it’s going to take a huge effort. We’ll get straight back to work.”
Defender Seamus Lavin called the win a real “changing of the guard” in Leinster. “The times they are a-changing wow, I never thought I’d see the day,” he said, beaming. Lavin said halftime was all about bracing for Dublin’s comeback, and he praised the team’s man-to-man effort. “Dublin threw everything at us, but the lads stood tall and gave it everything. Thankfully, it was enough.”
He also gave a big shoutout to manager Robbie Brennan, who previously led Kilmacud Crokes to All-Ireland glory. “He’s brilliant at making you believe. We have great players, we just needed belief and today, we had it.”
